The present invention relates generally to inductively coupled charging systems, and more particularly, to an inductive charging system having a light-activated mechanical positioning system for aligning a charge probe to a charge port disposed in an electric vehicle.
Inductive charging systems manufactured by the assignee of the present invention are employed to charge propulsion batteries of electric vehicles, for example. In one embodiment of the inductive charging system, for example, the inductive charging system includes a charge port disposed in an electric vehicle and a charge probe that is part of a charging station. The charge probe includes a primary core and a primary winding while the charge port includes a secondary core and a secondary winding. The primary winding of the charge probe is coupled to a source of power that is part of the charging station while the secondary winding of the charge port is coupled to the propulsion batteries of the electric vehicle.
In one version of this embodiment, an operator of the electric vehicle physically inserts the charge probe into the charge port in the electrical vehicle, in a manner similar to filling a conventional vehicle with gasoline. However, the charge probe carries many amperes of current and the probe must be properly inserted into the charge port to insure proper charging. To minimize concerns about user safety when handling the charge probe it is desirable to have a charging mechanism that does not require a user to physically hold the charge probe in order to charge the propulsion batteries of the electric vehicle.
Therefore, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an inductive charging system having a mechanical positioning system for aligning a charge probe to a charge port of an inductive charger.